In York, you can try cupping like an Olympic athlete

Life's Diversion Float and Relaxation Spa is the first flotation therapy spot in York County. Owner John Suprik explains the benefits of the practice.
Maddie Crocenzi

Idelisse Cordero from York gets a cupping treatment from Dr. Brenda Tomanek of Springdale Chiropractic. Cupping therapy is an ancient practice that uses cups to suction skin. It rose to prominence after Olympic athletes were seen using it during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero.(Photo11: Maddie Crocenzi)

Remember that time the internet went crazy when Michael Phelps was covered in purple circles during the 2016 summer Olympics? Well, you can get those purple circles through cupping therapy in York, too.

At Springdale Chiropractic, Brenda Tomanek focuses on healthy and holistic living. A chiropractor for 17 years, she's now certified in cupping.

“I used to come to the office with the white coat and dressed to the nines. My dry cleaning bills were stratospheric," she laughed.

When she saw Olympic athletes decorated in what looked like bruises, she started to do some research, thinking it might help her patients. Now she and licensed massage therapist Jeff Smith are certified in cupping therapy and offer it at Springdale.

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Cupping therapy got attention during the 2016 summer Olympics when Michael Phelps appeared with purple circles on his body. Now it's being offered in York.
Maddie Crocenzi

Cupping therapy is exactly what it sounds like. It's an ancient practice in which heated cups are placed on the skin and work like a suction cup.

"It's bringing all the toxins and impurities in your system to the surface and then through the lymphatic system," Smith said.

Tomanek said you can place the cups on your face to help with sinus-related problems, headaches or even to achieve a natural facelift. Cupping on the stomach can help with digestive disorders, cellulite and Crohn's disease, according to Tomanek. She even performed cupping on a patient's knees.

"He said, 'Oh my gosh, I feel like I have brand new knees,'” Tomanek said.

On a Thursday afternoon at Springdale, Idelisse Cordero from York and Dannette Freeland from Manchester Township were getting cupping therapy done. Both had done it before and tout its benefits, even dispelling the idea that it might be painful.

"It doesn't pinch," Freeland said while laying on a table with six cups stuck to her back.

Dannette Freeland from Manchester Township gets a cupping treatment from Licensed Massage Therapist Jeff Smith of Springdale Chiropractic. Cupping therapy is an ancient practice that uses cups to suction skin. It rose to prominence after Olympic athletes were seen using it during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero.(Photo11: Maddie Crocenzi)

Tomanek said people are often surprised they don't feel pain while cupping. She calls the side effects "minimal," saying marks usually occur on the back, rarely on the face.

While some may think it's strange to stick cups on their body in the pursuit of health, it fits Tomanek's practice, and it gave her something to dedicate to her husband after his death. Now she's offering yoga classes at Springdale, cupping and other nontraditional health opportunities, and she's excited for the future.

“We refine our technique each time," Tomanek said. "We’re utilizing many forms of cupping for many different areas of the body.”

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Cupping therapy is an ancient practice that uses cups like these to suction skin. It rose to prominence after Olympic athletes were seen using it during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. Now, it's being offered in York at Springdale Chiropractic. Maddie Crocenzi, York Daily Record

Idelisse Cordero from York gets a cupping treatment from Dr. Brenda Tomanek of Springdale Chiropractic. Cupping therapy is an ancient practice that uses cups to suction skin. It rose to prominence after Olympic athletes were seen using it during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. Maddie Crocenzi

Idelisse Cordero from York gets a cupping treatment from Dr. Brenda Tomanek of Springdale Chiropractic. Cupping therapy is an ancient practice that uses cups to suction skin. It rose to prominence after Olympic athletes were seen using it during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. Maddie Crocenzi

Idelisse Cordero from York gets a cupping treatment from Dr. Brenda Tomanek of Springdale Chiropractic. Cupping therapy is an ancient practice that uses cups to suction skin. It rose to prominence after Olympic athletes were seen using it during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. Maddie Crocenzi

Dannette Freeland from Manchester Township gets a cupping treatment from Licensed Massage Therapist Jeff Smith of Springdale Chiropractic. Cupping therapy is an ancient practice that uses cups to suction skin. It rose to prominence after Olympic athletes were seen using it during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. Maddie Crocenzi

Dannette Freeland from Manchester Township gets a cupping treatment from Licensed Massage Therapist Jeff Smith of Springdale Chiropractic. Cupping therapy is an ancient practice that uses cups to suction skin. It rose to prominence after Olympic athletes were seen using it during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. Maddie Crocenzi

Dannette Freeland from Manchester Township gets a cupping treatment from Licensed Massage Therapist Jeff Smith of Springdale Chiropractic. Cupping therapy is an ancient practice that uses cups to suction skin. It rose to prominence after Olympic athletes were seen using it during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. Maddie Crocenzi